Motorcycle fatality may have been caused by tire

June 13, 2014

CALCUTTA - A man killed when his motorcycle crashed on state Route 11 last week was going about 70 miles per hour according to a witness.

The witness told the Highway Patrol, Ronald Burns, 63, of Warren passed him on the 1999 Honda Goldwing shortly before it wrecked and that he could smell a tire burning.

According to the patrol report released Wednesday, the crash happened after the rear tire of the motorcycle blew out as he was traveling in the left southbound lane near the state Route 170 exit around 9:45 a.m.

Burns was wearing a helmet but it flew off during the crash after he was ejected, the report stated.

He was taken to the East Liverpool Hospital where he was pronounced dead.